Sunday, May 18, 2025
5/18/2025
Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction - Life-Saving Ambulances and Equipment for Hennepin Healthcare Emergency Medical Services Now in its 135th year, Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. (“Hennepin Healthcare”), located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, is an integrated system of care that includes a 484-bed Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center and acute care hospital (HCMC), an outpatient Clinic and Specialty Center, a large psychiatric program, and a network of clinics across Hennepin County. As the largest safety-net hospital in Minnesota, Hennepin Healthcare predominantly serves a historically marginalized and under-resourced low-income population, including those who are homeless, uninsured, and underinsured. The comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital offers extensive education and training programs. Hennepin Healthcare Emergency Medical Services (EMS) serves a primary service area with both urban and suburban communities that spans 266 square miles and has a population of one million (35% BIPOC) throughout Hennepin County, Minnesota. In 2023, EMS completed more than 92,894 ambulance runs and provided essential care and services to the community. 73% of these runs occurred within the City of Minneapolis. Since 2019, Hennepin Healthcare EMS has responded to a 142.3% increase in shootings. In 2023, EMS ambulances responded to 300+ shootings, including those that were multi-victim. A Community Paramedic Team (CPT) responds to non-urgent calls and completes post-discharge follow-up with patients in their homes; in 2023, the Community Paramedics conducted more than 2,000 at-home visits for medically fragile patients to ensure they are following medical treatments and to reduce return visits. While Hennepin Healthcare originally requested $2.7M in funding to support both construction and equipment, we pivoted to an equipment-only proposal when construction was significantly delayed. We now propose to use funding to purchase the following equipment: • Five (5) Road Rescue Ultramedic Ford E-450 Type III Ultra Medic ambulances • One (1) Ford PI Utility squad • One (1) Ford F-150 Responder pickup truck • One (1) Laerdal SimMan® 3G PLUS (adult) • One (1) Laerdal SimMan® 3G PLUS (baby) This additional equipment will make a substantial impact on the team’s ability to meet community need. Five additional ambulances for our EMS team will allow a significant expansion of service, allowing the EMS team to meet the need for up to 80% of unmet call volume. (Currently, we give away more than 2000 emergency calls a year because we do not have sufficient equipment to meet this need.) Two additional vehicles for the Community Paramedic Team will allow an expansion of support to EMS with non-urgent and follow-up care for medically fragile patients. Finally, two additional SIM mannequins (one adult and one baby) will provide additional hands-on training opportunities for the EMS and Community Paramedic Teams.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).